ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The CECOM Integrated Logistics Support Center has a mission to deliver C5ISR combat power through logistics and sustainment solutions to enable warfighter dominance at the point of need. But how do we know the items being supplied can meet the demands of the warfighter? A rigorous series of developmental test and evaluations are performed on all items used by the Army and other military services to ensure reliability, durability, and operational effectiveness.

From research and development to full-scale operational evaluations, the Army’s testing process is a critical step in maintaining combat readiness. One of the key facilities responsible for this process is the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center, where items are assessed according to military and performance standards.

Prior to joining the ILSC, I served as a data collector at ATC, which gave me valuable insight into what happens early in an item’s life cycle. Whether evaluating a new vehicle or refining existing technology, ATC plays a vital role in determining whether military equipment is ready for sustainment and long-term deployment.

When a manufacturer bids for a U.S. Army contract for a non-commercial item—one not already available on the market or covered by existing technical specifications—extensive testing is required. The first step, R&D testing, aims to expand scientific and technical knowledge to determine whether a design meets the Army’s needs. Unlike traditional production processes, R&D testing remains flexible, allowing for adjustments to improve performance.

If an item successfully meets R&D standards, it moves to the next phase: first article test. This process ensures the manufacturer can produce equipment that meets all contract requirements. Before a FAT evaluation and approval contract is awarded, military officials consider factors such as cost, delivery time, risk to the government of foregoing such a test, and availability of other, less costly, methods of ensuring the desired quality.

Once it is determined that testing will proceed, operational test requirements and procedures are planned. Operational testing is conducted in a realistic environment by operators, maintainers, and administrators with the same skill and training as those who will operate, maintain, and support the item in deployment. ATC provides cutting-edge facilities for these tests, including environmental conditioning chambers, extreme temperature simulators, driven wind and rain simulators, and vehicle proving grounds.

These tests ensure that military equipment can endure the harshest conditions while maintaining operational effectiveness. The ATC engineer assigned to direct the FAT evaluation will provide a final test report detailing whether test requirements were or were not met for each test item evaluated.

The Army awards a production contract to those manufacturers whose item met the key technical goals of the design, satisfied success metrics incorporated into the operational evaluation, or accomplished a highly successful test result.

Even after production begins, testing does not stop. The Army conducts ongoing assessments such as reliability, availability, and maintainability evaluations to maintain quality control. Production line items undergo the same rigorous testing as their FAT predecessors to ensure consistency and performance.

Incidents occurring during testing—ranging from minor issues to critical failures—are meticulously documented in test incident reports. These reports categorize issues by severity and outline corrective actions, which are later integrated into technical manuals used by Soldiers and maintenance crews in the field.

The U.S. Army’s testing, operations, and maintenance process is not just about meeting technical requirements—it is about ensuring Soldier safety, mission success, and the reliability of military assets. Every piece of equipment undergoes an extensive evaluation to meet the highest standards, a testament to the Army’s commitment to excellence.

Through the combined efforts of engineers, manufacturers, and military personnel, the Army ensures that when Soldiers deploy, they have the most reliable tools at their disposal and ready to perform under any conditions.

Although I am no longer directly associated with item DT&E, I see first-hand how increased item reliability, availability, and maintainability is important in improving how CECOM ILSC supports the supply chain of secondary items to meet the needs of the warfighter. In today’s rapidly modernizing world, early communication of failure data from prototyping to operational testing by program managers to CECOM ILSC’s Integrated Logistics Support Managers and Weapon System Teams helps ensure supply chain sustainment.

This is one of the many ways that Army organizations—in this case, ATC and CECOM ILSC—partner to achieve mission requirements.